Since March of 2020, many commercial building owners have fallen victim to the “retail apocalypse.”  The pandemic made it necessary for countless brick-and-mortar businesses across the country to adapt to both an online retail presence and a work-from-home office set-up. Consumers were also ordered to stay at home when possible. This left many stores devoid of physical customer activity and several buildings across the country that would normally be bustling with life sitting vacant. Some businesses decided to continue this path after the pandemic lessened to a point where they were allowed to reopen their doors. They found it easier … Continue reading

Living and working near large bodies of water like Lake Superior gives contractors much to think about when it comes to insuring their businesses. Did you know that you need special insurance coverage to do construction near navigable waters?  Without it, if you find yourself in the middle of a claim, your loss may not be covered. First, what is the definition of navigable waters?  Any body of water, such as a river, canal, lake, or ocean that is deep, wide, and calm enough for a water vessel to travel along is considered navigable.  It can also be called a … Continue reading

Accidents Happen.  From a simple muscle strain to a serious fall, workplace injuries can significantly affect your employees and your bottom line.  In addition to the direct costs associated with your workers’ compensation insurance, you may have expenses that stem from the hiring and training or replacement workers, lost productivity, accident investigations and more. Even when the right precautions are taken, it only takes a split second for a routine task to turn catastrophic.   Even with the unknowns, however, there are effective ways an employer can help to control the workers’ comp costs.  We want to share one of those … Continue reading

The world today operates online more than ever, especially since the pandemic forced all industries to adapt to doing everything digitally at an accelerated rate. The digital world continues to grow at a rapid pace, and for most people and businesses it would be a difficult task, if not impossible, to get by without access to a smart phone or computer on a regular basis. Many insurance carriers have put the digital world to good use with online claims handling. Did you know that many insurance carriers offer the ability to file or manage a claim online or via an … Continue reading

VAST CEO Scott White has announced that he will be stepping down as CEO effective March 1, 2022. Kelly Reed, a Marquette native, and currently a Risk Advisor at VAST will succeed White. White has been CEO of VAST since 1998. In addition to his duties as CEO, Scott has served on numerous industry advisory councils and was inducted into the Michigan Insurance Hall of Fame in 2021. He will officially retire from VAST in May 2022. Reed is a graduate of Northern Michigan University and has been with VAST for 15 years. He has worked in commercial insurance since … Continue reading

Cyber events, cyber-attacks, cyber incidents…the list of names for events where an organization’s system is compromised is never ending. Unfortunately, along with the long list of names, the actual events themselves are becoming more and more frequent and severe for organizations around the world. As you try and navigate the world of cyber-liability, cyber-attacks and cyber incidents, you may wonder how you can best protect your system and your organization from being a victim of an attack or mitigating the ramifications of an attack. Along with strong risk management, security protocols, and a robust cyber insurance program in place to … Continue reading

Hooray, warm weather is upon us!  And with that, many people are pulling out their grills and firing up their barbecues. I can already smell that freshly grilled burger, and it is making my mouth water in anticipation. Whether your choice is veggie kababs or hot-off-the-grill burgers, barbequed food delights are aplenty. Before you jump on the bandwagon, now is a great time to review some safety tips to make sure everything is ready for you to enjoy the delicious grilling. Use your propane or charcoal grill outside only and at an appropriate distance from your home or other building … Continue reading

Along with crazy times in our world, we are in the midst of some crazy times in insurance. In many lines of coverage on the business insurance side of the house, we are in what is referred to as a “hard market.” This means more often than not, increased premiums – two words our insureds never want to hear. Directors & Officers Coverage, Employment Practices Liability, Medical Professional Liability, Business Auto, Property, Umbrella – truly seeing increases on average of 15% + across the board as rates go up. We expect this trend to continue on well into 2021. A hard market can also … Continue reading

Many Americans regard dogs as cute, cuddly, friendly, and loveable animals. However, some people view dogs as vicious, dangerous, and potentially harmful. The stay-at-home orders of 2020 gave numerous households an impulse to adopt dogs at a much higher rate than average. According to the American Pet Products Association, almost 90 million dogs currently live in American households. While many adoptions were well-intended and brought comfort to the new pet owners and the dogs themselves, all of the adoptions came with the responsibility and liability of owning a dog. What happens when your dog bites another person? If that person … Continue reading

Online enrollment helps you save time during benefits enrollment and ongoing management by eliminating paper forms, reducing errors, and creating digital files. The value here lies in the fact that less time is spent collecting and reviewing forms, determining eligibility, and communicating benefit details. For employees, they can easily compare their benefit options and select the ones best suited to their specific needs. Online enrollment deepens your relationships with your employees by giving them and their dependents 24/7 access to plan details and educational resources regarding their benefits. Research shows that the more educated employees are about their benefits, the … Continue reading